My dog, Charlie, is a very picky eater. Sometimes he will eat both his daily meals; sometimes he won't. Whenever he does eat, he tends to take a very long time to finish his food. He will eat a bite or two, then wander around the house, then come back to it eventually. I have taken him to the vet and was told nothing is wrong with him. What can I do to get him to eat consistently?

Sincerely,

Hungry Chuck

Dear Hungry Chuck,

There are a number of reasons why dogs become picky eaters, but there is hope.

First, make sure to give structure to Charlie's meal times. Put Charlie's food bowl down for 15 minutes, if he has chosen not to touch the food during that time, or if he walks away from his bowl, simply take the bowl away and wait for his next feeding time to offer him food again. Assuming he is in good health, he will not be hurt by missing a meal or two. Do not try to coerce him into eating, because then his defiance is only rewarded with your attention. Eventually, Charlie will get hungry, and he will eat. By giving mealtime some structure, Charlie will learn that when his bowl goes down, it won't wait around forever, and more importantly, that you are in control of feedings.

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During this training process, decrease the number of treats that Charlie is getting during the day so that he can really work up an appetite.

Some dogs simply are not hungry for breakfast as they get older and require only one daily feeding to feel satisfied. If Charlie is over 1 year of age, you may try a dinner-only feeding schedule.

Lastly, make sure that you feed him a good, high-quality food. Some lower quality foods that are made largely of corn and by-products are not terribly appetizing to dogs and may not meet all of their nutritional needs. The better it tastes, the more likely he is to eat it.

Good luck getting Charlie to chow down.

Your Mountain Dog Mission Trainers

Dear MDM,

I recently rescued my dog, Roxy, and she has absolutely no obedience skills. She is a great dog, but she gets into everything and can't focus for even a minute. I just don't know where to start. What are the most important commands for me to begin working on with my new pup?

Sincerely,

Restless Roxy

Dear Restless Roxy,

Every dog needs some basic obedience skills, but some commands are more important than others.

The three obedience commands that we believe every dog must master are "come," "leave it," and "stay." because they can help keep your dog stay safe in various situations.

For Roxy, learning the "leave it" command will not only help her to stop chewing your new shoes, but when you take her on a hike, and a slithering rattlesnake sparks her interest, this command may well save her life.

The "come" command will teach Roxy to come over and pay attention. The command should include her running up to you, sitting in front of you, and looking at you, waiting for your next instructions. Perfecting this command will allow Roxy to run around off-leash without you worrying that she won't come back.

Lastly, "stay," ideally in the "down" position, will go a long way toward teaching Roxy some patience, a virtue for dogs as well as humans. If she can settle into a stay for an hour or more, you have done an excellent job of teaching this command. It will be especially useful if you plan to bring Roxy to areas where she must remain calm or stay in one spot.

Good luck getting Roxy to take a break and listen up.

Your Mountain Dog Mission Trainers

Mountain Dog Mission is a Boulder-based non-profit organization that rescues and rehabilitates dogs of all ages for the purpose of re-homing via adoption. They accept even the most unruly dogs from shelters throughout the western United States into their program. You can learn more about them, their services and available dogs for adoption at mountaindogmission.org

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